In the evening the court-house was packed.

Although a comparative stranger I was called upon to preside; the sole reason, possibly, was that I had been in the army and had seen service.

With much embarrassment and some prompting I made out to announce the object of the meeting.

Speeches were in order, but it is doubtful whether it would have been safe just then to make other than patriotic ones.

There was probably no one in the house, however, who felt like making any other.